California Wine Country

Martha Barra of  Girasole Vineyards  and  Barra of Mendocino  is back on California Wine Country with Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell. This is Martha’s third time on the show, the first time was  this episode in November of 2020  and the second time was  this show on January 5, 2024 . The first wine in their glasses is a Pinot Blanc, not to be mistaken for a...

Clark Smith,  winemaker , author and frequent California Wine Country guest, is back with Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell.  His last time on the show was this episode on April 3 of this year . Professor Damien Wilson from Sonoma State University is also with us, from the previous on-air segment.  He runs the Wine Business Institute at SSU . Clark Smith has a new book coming out,...

Steve Sangiacomo from  Sangiacomo Family Wines  joins Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell on California Wine Country. This is his first time on the show. The Sangiacomo family has been growing grapes in the Petaluma Gap area before it was identified as an AVA. They purchased their first property in 1927. The Roberts Road was planted in 1999 with about 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. They h...

Jeff Mangahas,  Williams Selyem  VP of Winemaking, is back on California Wine Country with Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell. The last time he was on the show was  this episode in November 22, 2024 . Dr. Damien Wilson is staying with us to, from the previous segment. He is the head of the  Sonoma State University Wine Business Institute . The first wine tasted is a 2024 Williams S...

Dan Berger speaks with Daedalus Howell about the state of harvest and the wine industry right now on California Wine Country. He is occasionally the featured guest, the last time was  this show from last May with his personal picks from Bottle Barn . Dan reports that the crop is very light this year. Especially Cabernet Sauvignon is looking “ratty” and there is virtually no fruit....

Dr. Damien Wilson from the Sonoma State University Wine Business Institute joins Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell on California Wine Country. This is his first time on the show.  The pr0moter of the International Canned Wine Competition was our guest on this episode, in 2021 . Dan Berger will mention this during the show.   Before the show, they were talking about what’s new in the w...

Marchelle Wines  founder Greg La Follette is back on California Wine Country with Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell. Greg has been on the show before, the last time was  this episode of Oct. 25, 2024 , but this is his first time with Daedalus hosting. They begin by tasting a Vermentino that Greg La Follette has produced. His label, Marchelle Wines, has just opened a new tasting room in Heal...

Prema Kerollis,  co-founder and general manager of Three Sticks Wines , joins Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell on California Wine Country. This is her first time on California Wine Country, although others from Three Sticks have been on before, including  this episode on Oct. 13, 2021 . Prema has worked alongside Three Sticks founder Bill Price, since they founded the winery in 2002. They...

Garry Brooks, from  Brooks Note Winery  in the Petaluma Gap, joins Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell on California Wine Country. This is Garry’s third time on the show, after being on twice in 2025,  first in February  and  then in December . In his two previous appearances, Garry and Dan discuss the characteristics of the Petaluma Gap in great detail. They also tell th...

Jonathan Darrow, director of the 2026 edition of  Winesong , joins Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell on Calfornia Wine Country. This is his first time on the show, but his predecessor Jamie Peters was here  last year before Winesong, on this episode . KSXY15  is the Winesong discount code for listeners to California Wine Country and The Drive, to recieve a 15% discount on tickets ...

Ana Keller of Keller Estate  and Ricky Stancliffe of  Trombetta Wines  are our in-studio guests on California Wine Country with Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell. As Petaluma Gap wineries, they are participating in the  Wind to Wine festival  on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at Gambonini Family Ranch in Petaluma. If you want to get to know the wines of the Petaluma Gap, this is...

Winemaker Ted Seghesio from  Solo Nostro Wines  is our guest today on California Wine Country with Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell. Ted used to work for the winery that bears  his family name . In what he refers to now as his “previous post,” he made Zinfandel for 40 years. He still makes it under the new label, among many other varietals. Solo Nostro is Italian for &ldqu...

Kim Stare Wallace from  Dry Creek Vineyards  joins Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell on California Wine Country. She has been on the show before, the last time was  this episode in September of 2025 . Kim has brought four bottles of two varieties, for tasting. One is their dry Chenin Blanc. They have made the same style for 54 years. Dan Berger remembers the first vintage of this wine...

Fred Peterson, owner of  Peterson Winery , joins Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell on California Wine Country today. This is Fred’s first time on the show, but Peterson wines were a big part of  this episode with Darryl Miller, on March 27 this year . Daedalus mentions the birds on the labels of the Peterson wines that Fred has brought. There are other labels with a mountain lion, a b...

Shane Finley, winemaker and Lisa Brayton co-owner of  Thirty-Seven Wines  join Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell on California Wine Country.  This episode of August 10, 2022  featured Lisa along with her husband Al, who is holding down the fort today. This is Shane’s first time on the show. Thirty-Seven Wines is named after the highway. Dan describes the Thirty-Seven Wines v...

Scott Lindstrom-Dake from  Thumbprint Cellars  joins Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell on California Wine Country. This is Scott’s first time on the show. Thumbprint Cellars is located in the Petaluma Gap. The first tasting is a 2024 Nouveau, primarily made with Grenache with a little bit of Zin, meant to be served chilled. It has a dark pink color and is a refreshing easy-drinking wi...

Tony Lombardi from  Lombardi Wines  is our guest on California Wine Country with Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell. This is his first time on the show. The winery is located in the Petaluma Gap, which we have described in many recent episodes.  This episode from 2018  is about the 3rd anniversary of the Petaluma Gap AVA, We start with Chardonnay, which Dan says is in the mold of&n...

Matt Taylor, owner of  Matt Taylor Wines , is our guest today on California Wine Country with Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell. This is his first time on the show. Dan Berger did talk a little about  Chenin Blanc in this recent episode . On April 30 this year, Matt Taylor was the subject of  a feature story in the New York Times . Chenin Blanc is coming back. It was popular in the 197...

Kevin Bersofsky, owner of  Montagne Russe  wines, is back on California Wine Country with Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell. He has been on the show before, the last time was  this episode in 2024 . Kevin has brought a French style sparkling Rosé. Dan likes this sparkling Rosé because it is dry. This is a 2022, 85% Pinot Noir and 15% Chard, Keller estate Petaluma Gap frui...

Don Chigazola is back with  Chigazola Merchants  French wines on California Wine Country with Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell. Don Chigazola receives the first Golden Corkscrew with a fanfare for brass orchestra, for being a guest ten times on CWC. The last time Don Chigazola was on CWC was  this episode last January , with a selection of wines he imports from Italy. Today,...

We have a selection of  Bottle Barn picks from Dan Berger on California Wine Country with Dan and Daedalus Howell today, wines that Dan says show a trend in the retail wine business. He has brought selections from Bottle Barn that will illustrate this new direction. Dan Berger is our weekly co-host and has also been featured on the show, such as this episode about Gamay Beaujolais. Many young...

Sal de la Cruz from  Ludor Wines  joins Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell in the studio on California Wine Country today. This is the first time on the show for Sal and for the winery. All of the wines that Sal has brought come from the Weiler vineyard in the Sonoma Valley AVA. They begin by tasting  a red wine blend called  Yuma , named after their beloved nine-year-old dog , who...

Carol Shelton brings her latest Gold Medal winners to California Wine Country with Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell. She produces Zinfandel and other varietals under her own label,  Carol Shelton Wines . She has been on the show several times and  her very first episode was this one in December of 2017 . Dan explains that Carol always does extremely well in wine competitions. “Gold m...

Chris Sawyer is here as Melissa Galliani’s special guest, along with Courtney Wagner the winemaker at  Martinelli Winery . Chris is getting ready for the Sonoma County Vintners  Pour and Explore  event on April 23. They will be tasting the best Pinot Noir in Sonoma County. He has been in the wine business locally since the 1970s and has seen its growth. Courtney Wagner is the...

Erica Stancliff,  Deodora Estate Vineyards  winemaker, joins Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell on California Wine Country. This is her fifth time as a guest on the show. Her very first time was  this episode on February 20, 2019  and her last time was  May 23, 2025 with Doug Mryglod and Judy Phillips , the owners of Deodora Estate Vineyards. The Artemis II crew just splashed...